CITY NIGHT

Life seems to be near normal now that most COVID restrictions have been relaxed...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

SUN SNACK

A coot seemingly lunging to gobble up a reflection of the sun!

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Weekend in Black and White,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme.

END OF SUMMER

As March progresses, it's time to say goodbye to Summer and hello to Autumn. Our weather is at best changeable, at worst calamitously unpredictable - as is the case with sudden storms and downpours.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

PINK HYACINTH ORCHID

Dipodium roseum, commonly known as pink hyacinth orchid, in the family Orchidaceae is a leafless mycoheterotrophic orchid found in east and south-eastern Australia. The species was formally described in 1991. The type specimen was collected in Montrose in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges. The species was previously included in a wider circumscription of Dipodium punctatum.

For most of the year, plants are dormant and have no above-ground presence. Below the ground lie fleshy roots. Flower spikes ranging from 30 to 90 cm in height appear between December and April. These racemose inflorescences have 15 to 40 pink flowers with small darker spots. The sepals and petals are strongly recurved and the three-lobed labellum is pink with dark lines and a band of mauve hairs. A rare white-flowering form also exists.

Pollination of this species, as for all species in the genus, is by native bees and wasps. No leafless species of Dipodium has been sustained in cultivation due to the inability to replicate its association with mycorrhizal fungi in a horticultural context. I.e. it needs the wild underground fungi to nourish it as it has no leaves and cannot photosynthesise.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

EARLY AUTUMN

At the Darebin Parklands in inner suburban Melbourne.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

ON THE YARRA

Black swan and coots on the Yarra River in the City, with the Princes Bridge in the background.

This post is part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

CLOTHES...

 ...MAKETH THE MAN

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

COFFEE BREAK

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Best meme

MASKED LAPWING

 The Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), also known as the masked plover and often called the spur-winged plover or just plover in its native range, is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent, New Zealand and .New Guinea.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

WINDMILL

 A very Australian scene at sunrise!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme